An investigation of perceived difficulties in speaking skills of english major (second degree) students

Abstract

According to Nunan (2015), speaking is the most important language skill to master and is often used to gauge language proficiency in general. The study aimed to identify causal factors affecting speaking as a basis for suggesting ways to help students improve their speaking performance. Using a mixed method approach involving a questionnaire and individual interviews, the study discovered what 60 second-degree students – working adults with limited learning time and exposure to English, considered the greatest barriers to improving their speaking skills. The questionnaire revealed that issues with grammar, vocabulary, and anxiety were what the students believed to be problem areas, while the interviews revealed further problems with cross-cultural communication and other factors. The results of this study are expected to be useful to other teachers and students of English while opening new directions for research in language teaching in the future.